Wilderness & Tactical Survival Training
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
World-class wilderness and tactical survival training available in Jacksonville, Florida. With easy access for all of North Florida and Georgia.
Our Base Camp property lease has expired, and we were unable to renew it for 2022. We are currently seeking new property to establish a base camp and run classes in the Jacksonville, FL. area. If you have property or know of someone with property (at least 10 acres) in the Jacksonville area that would be willing to work with us, please send us an email with details!
At our Florida location, courses are currently suspended while we seek property to establish a new base camp for operations.
Prices for private training can vary based on group size and type of training requested. Popular training requests include:
- Fishing Techniques
- Hunting & Trapping Techniques
- Tactical Survival (Weapons, Hand to Hand Combat)
- Wilderness Navigation
- Wilderness Survival
- Friction Fire
- Water Procurement
- Cold-Weather Survival
Florida Survival Instructor - Joel Graves
Co-Founder & Owner of American Survival Co., Certified Survival Instructor, & Former Special Warfare EOD on Seal Team 2
Joel brings an extremely extensive military and tactical background. Completing 355 missions as Naval Special Warfare EOD on Seal Team 2 & 4, which is arguably one of the most elite and highly trained bomb squads in the world. He has served tours in Iraq, Bahrain and Afghanistan, personally disarmed improvised explosive devices with minimal tools in some of the most austere environments in the world. He has provided secret service protection in multiple countries for President Bush, President Obama and VP Biden. Today, Joel leverages his tactical and combat experience to prepare civilians, military personnel and organizations for international and domestic threats. Training and consulting opportunities with Joel include: international traveler, SERE, active shooter preparedness, self defense and organizational security.
Joel’s bushcraft and survival skill set is as equally impressive. Following his retirement from special forces, Joel spent six months in a long-term survival program where he slept in the field for 5 months, living off the land and honing his craft.. Since a very young age, Joel has been hunting and fishing all over the country. He currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida and spends much of his time fishing on the coastal waters, gator hunting, building bows, and keeping his self reliance skills sharp. He also put up fierce competition in Discovery Channel’s Bushcraft Build-off and truly has a great love for teaching people of all ages the skills they need to survive!
Highlights: US NAVY EOD NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR, MK16 rebreather and SCUBA diver, static line and military free fall parachutist, diving supervisor, demolition operation supervisor, helicopter rope suspension technique (HRST/CAST) master, the Shaw’s Mid-South Shooting Institute and advanced expeditionary combat graduate, emergency vehicle operators course (EVOC), supported numerous US Secret Service missions for POTUS and VPOTUS, extensive combat medical training and real world experience using them.
Explosive Disposal Team Leader on over 355 missions with SEAL Team 2 and Seal Team 4. 2 Tours in Iraq, 1 Tour Bahrain, & 1 Tour Afghanistan.
Explosive ordinance disposal operator for ten years worked with: army, infantry, rangers, marines, SEAL teams, Green Berets, Secret Service, FBI, and police bomb squad units. Joel personally disarmed improvised explosive devices with minimal tools in some of the most austere environments in the world!
Experience & Training:
- Seal Team 2 & 4
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 2, 6, 12
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment Mayport
- Operation Iraqi Freedom: Deployments to MNF-N and MNF-W
- Operation Enduring Freedom: SOTF-Southeast Afghanistan, Village Stability Operations
- Military Level B SERE School Graduate
EOD Diving Operations:
- Diving Supervisor
- Deep Diving operations down to 300 ft
Shooting Schools:
- Shaws Mid South Institute
- Advanced Expeditionary Combat School
- Blackwater USTC training center
- TAG long range military shooting school
- Military Medical Certifications
- Navy Special Warfare Tactical First Responder medical training (Live Tissue)
- EOD Combat First Responder
- Army Combat Life Saver
Military Schools:
- Pack Mule Operations
- High/Low Angle Rope Rescue
- Small Technical Rope Rescue
- Swift Water Rescue
- High Altitude Navigation
- Military Free Fall Operations:Unknown-2
- Static Line Jumps (80 jumps)
- HALO/HAHO (High Altitude Low Opening/High Opening) 50 Jumps
Planning your trip to Jacksonville
Eat Your Yard Jax – 8220 Moncrief Rd WEST, Jacksonville, FL
Airports
Jacksonville Airport – JAX – 20 minutes from training site
Brunswick Golden Isles – BQK – 1 hr from training site
Accommodations: Students are welcome to camp on the premises or elect to stay at a hotel. Commonwealth Avenue offers some of the closest, budget friendly hotels. For many of our multi-day classes, we encourage you to camp on-site if possible to get the full experience. We often hear, some of the best part of training are the stories Joel shares around the camp fire in the evenings. But, there is no judgment or obligation to stay on-site, you are welcome to stay at hotel with access to hot showers! Wherever you feel most comfortable during your training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Port-a-potties are available on site
If you are doing an overnight survival experience we invite and encourage to stay with us. We offer primitive shelters as well as opportunities to set up your own camp. One of the most popular sleep set ups is a hammock and bug net combo.
Yes, bring enough food and water for at least one day. At our Florida location you will have access to a primitive outdoor kitchen. There are also restaurants within a 15 minute drive
Cell service can be spotty once we start navigating into the wilderness.
Tipping is common in this industry, but please don’t feel pressured to do so. If you feel that your instructor has gone above and beyond to provide you a quality class and you would like to tip them, it will be greatly appreciated.
Cancellations may be made in writing to americansurvivalschool@gmail.com.
Thank you for your interest in our survival training program. We offer top-notch training and resources to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to survive in the wilderness.
Please be advised that all purchases of our survival training courses and seminars are final and non-refundable. We are committed to providing you with the best possible training and resources to prepare you for any survival situation. We invest a significant amount of time and resources into the creation and delivery of our training programs, and we cannot offer refunds due to the high costs involved.
We strongly encourage you to carefully review all information about our training programs before making a purchase. We provide detailed information about our programs on our website and are available to answer any questions you may have. If you have any concerns or questions about our training programs, please contact us before making a purchase.
Thank you for understanding our no refund policy regarding survival training courses and seminars.
Credits towards future courses or seminars are provided based on the following:
- If you are unable to attend a course and you contact us before the date of the class, you may transfer your course credit to a future course of equal or lesser value.
- Transferred course credits must be used within one year of the original scheduled course date.
If you do not cancel (we receive no written notification) and you do not show up, (no call/no show) there is no course credit available. You must call or email ahead to cancel.
Yes! We love to serve families and large groups. We offer private event training which starts at $275/day for person 1 and $135/day for each additional person (four student minimum). We can negotiate more extensive discounts for groups of 6 or more.
If you have a group that would like to take a prescheduled class we offer discounts starting at $20/person and can increase based on group size. Please contact americansurvivalschool@gmail.com to inquire about any group discounts.
Yes! We love to serve families and large groups. We offer private event training which starts at $250/day for person 1 and $100/day for each additional person. We can negotiate more extensive discounts for groups of 6 or more.
If you have a group that would like to take a prescheduled class we offer discounts starting at $20/person and can increase based on group size. Please contact americansurvivalschool@gmail.com to inquire about any group discounts.
Yes! We love working with kids. Whether it’s a field trip for a 5th grade class who has just finished reading Hatchet, first graders on a nature walk, or a group of ROTC students who are looking to increase their wilderness skills we can tailor field trips to your goals and time frame. We also can provide a great venue for birthday parties, youth group events, scouts and clubs, and more! Contact us at americansurvivalschool@gmail.com.